Scythe snath



Patented Oct. 10, 1933 SCYTHE SNATH Stanley J. Birge, St. Louis, Mo.,assignor to Seymour Manufacturing Company, Seymour, Ind., a corporationof Indiana Application November 7, 1932. Serial No. 641,540

8 Claims.

This invention relates to scythes, and is particularly directed toproviding improved means for attaching the scythe blade toV the handle,o1' snath, as it is called. A special object of the invention is toprovide attaching means which shall automatically dispose the blade in aplane inclined to the axis of the end portion of the snath to which itis secured. The invention consists of certain features and elementsherein 'l0 shown and described, as indicated in the claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a face View of a Scythe blade detached= from the snath.

Figure 2 is a transverse section on a larger l5 scale, taken asindicated at line 2-2 on Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse section similar t0 Figure 2, but showing theblade twisted out ofthe plane of the tang. Y

Figure 4 is a face view of the end portion of the snath provided with atting for securing the scythe blade thereto, in accordance with thisinvention. l

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Figure 4Y andincludingin fullY lines the blade tang and a portion of the blade.

Figure 6 is a detail section taken as indicated at line 6 6 on Figure 5.

A scythe blade as commonly made includes a blade portion proper shownlat 1 in Figure 1, andv a tang, 2, extending transversely from the end ofthe blade for securement to the handle or snath. The tang, 2, issubstantially at, with its extreme end portion turned dow-n atr3 vtoform a hook designed to engage in a slot or aperture usually provided inthe tting on the snath to which the tang is to be attached. Asmanufactured, the tang portion, 2, and the blade portion 1, liesubstantially in the same plane, but it is common practice for the user,after attaching the /iwtang to the snath or handle, to twist the bladeportion slightly at the constriction, 4, so as to throw the blade itselfinto a plane somewhat inclined to the plane of the tang, 2. The resultis indicated by the position of the sectioned portion of the blade at 1xin Figure 3,. My improved construction avoids the necessity of thistwisting operation. Y

As seen in Figure 4, the end portion, 5, of the snath, is provided witha metallic tting which 5U includes a ferrule, 6, encompassing thereduced extreme end portion of the snath, and a plate, 7, which ispreferably integral with the ferrule, 6, and overlies a flattened area,8, on one side of the snath, 5. This flattened area, 8, as seen clearlyin Figure 5, is inclined with respect to the axis of the end portion 5,of the snath, so that when the tang, 2, is clamped against the plate, 7,it also isv inclined to said axis, and the plane of the blade portion,1, instead of being parallel to the axis of Vthe snath, as in mostconstructions, is inclinedV by 60- substantially the same amount as theblade is inclined by the twisting operation illustrated in VFigure 3.This gives the blade a better angle of approach when used by persons ofaverage height.

For securing the tang in clamped relation to the plate, '7, I provide aneye-bolt, 9, Whose eye` portion is carried inr a metallic pocket, 10,dis'- posed at the extreme end of the snath, and preferably madeintegral with the ferrule portion, 6. This partl of the construction isquite similar to that shown in Patent No. 1,824,123. The pocket includesa constricted lower portion which accommodates the shank, 1l, of theeye-bolt, and through which the threaded end of the shank projects toreceive the clamping nut 12. VIf L desired, a spring locking washer,`13, may be in.-Y terposed between the nut, 12, and the outer face of thepocket, 10, against which it bears. The eye portion, 9, of the` eye-boltencompasses the tang, 2, as seen in Figure 6, and as it is drawn 8m downinto the pocket, 10, clamps the tang firmly against the outer face ofthe plate, '7. Preferably, the under surface, 9a, of the eye, 9, isinclined to the axis of the eye, as seen in Figure 5, so as t0 bearfirmly against the inclined tang, 2.

Since the outer wall of the pocket, 10, sup'- plements plate, 7, insupporting the tang, 2, itH Will be seen that the provision of thepocket, 10, beyond the end of the wood snath, 5, avoids reducing thewood as much as would be necessary to secure an equivalent inclinationof the tang and blade if some other type of fastening means were used.With the present arrangement the portion of the wood at the extreme endwhich is most reduced is reinforced by the ferrule, 6, so that theinclined mounting of the tang actually involves no substantial weakeningof the snath.

To somewhat increase the inclination of the tang without furtherreducing the snath, 5, the thickness of the plate, 7, may be taperedfrom its upper end toward the ferrule, as shown in Figure 5. Comparisonwith Figure 4 will show that this brings the thick portion of the plate,'7, adjacent the square holes which are provided to I l receive the bentend portion, 3, of the tang, 2. These holes are placed somewhat closerthan in most standard plates in order to shorten the plate and thussecure the maximum inclination With the minimum removal of Woodvfrom thesnath, 5. The tapering of the plate, '7, bringing 110i its thick portionadjacent these apertures, offsets any weakening of the plate which wouldotherwise result from arranging them closer together. The extreme upperend of the plate, where this extreme strength is not needed, is taperedin the opposite direction to provide a surface parallel to the axis ofthe snath, which gives a firm seat for the head of a securing bolt, 14,by which the plate is permanently fastened in position.

I claim:

1. A scythe snath having a fiat face at one side adjacent the scytheend, said face being inclined a substantial amount at an acute angle tothe extended axis of the snath at said end, and a fitting which includesa ferrule encompassing the extreme end portion of the snath, togetherwith a plate extending from said ferrule to overlie said fiat face withits upper surface inclined a substantial amount with respect to saidaxis, and clamping means adapted to secure the tang of a scythe bladeflatly against said plate, thus in-- clining the blade with respect tothe axis of the snath.

2. A scythe snath having a flat face at one side adjacent the scytheend7 said face being inclined a substantial amount at an acute angle tothe extended axis of the snath at said end, and a fitting which includesa plate overlying said flat face with its upper surface inclined asubstantial amount with respect to said axis, together with clampingmeans adapted to secure the tang of a scythe blade flatly against saidplate for tilting the blade with respect to the axis of the snath.

3. A scythe snath having a flat face at one side at an acute angle tothe extended axis of the snath at said end, and a fitting which includesa plate disposed to overlie said fiat face and tapered in thicknesslongitudinally so that its outer face is more inclined to the axis thanthe flat face of the snath, together with clamping means adapted tosecure the tang of a scythe blade fiatly against said outer face of theplate.

4. In combination with a scythe snath, a fitting *for securing the tangof a scythe blade thereto,

said fitting including a ferrule fitting encompassing the extreme endportion of the snath with a plate extending from said ferrule to overliean adjacent part of the snath, said plate being disposed as to its uppersurface in a plane inclined by a substantial amount at an acute angle tothe extended axis of the snath at said end, and a pocket disposed Withrespect to said fitting beyond the ferrule-forming part of said fittingwith an eye-bolt in said pocket through the eye of which bolt the tangis adapted to extend, and means for drawing the eye into the pocket forclamping the tang against the plate.

5. In combination with a scythe snath, a fitting for securing the tangof a scythe blade thereto, said fitting including a plate applied to theupper surface of the snath disposed as to its outer face in a planeinclined at an acute angle to the extended axis of the snath at thescythe end thereof and a pocket disposed with respect to said fittingbeyond the end of the snath, with an eye-bolt extending transversely ofsaid axis in said pocket, the tang of `the blade being adapted to extendthrough the eye of the bolt, and the inner surface of said eye whichengages the face of such tang being inclined in accordance With theinclination of the plate, and means for drawing the eye into the pocketfor clamping the tang against the plate.

6. In combination with a scythe snath, a fitting for securing the tangof a scythe blade thereto, said fitting including a plate `disposed in aplane inclined at an acute angle to the extended axis of the snath atthe scythe supporting end and extending longitudinally of the latter,with a pocket disposed with respect to said fitting beyond the said endof the snath, and an eye bolt in said i pocket through the eye of whichbolt the tang is adapted to extend, together with means for drawing theeye into the pocket for clamping the tang against the plate.

7. In the combination defined in claim 6, said plate being tapered inthickness longitudinally of the snath, so that its outerface is inclinedto the axis ,of the snath more than its inner face.

8. In combination with a scythe snath having a flat face at one sideadjacent the end, said face being inclined at an acute angle withrespect to the extended axis of the snath at the scythe supportingenda,f itting for securing the tang of the scythe blade to the snathincluding a ferrule encompassing the extreme end portion of the snath,and a plate extending from said ferrule longitudinally to overlie'saidflat face, said plate being tapered in thickness longitudinally so thatits outer face is more inclined to the axis than the flat face of thesnath, and a pocket disposed beyond the ferrule with aneye-bolt in Ysaidpocket, through the Veye of which bolt the tang isadapted to extend, andmeans fordrawing the eye into the pocket to clamp the tang against theouter face of the plate.

. STANLEY J. BIRGE.

